The present invention relates to the preparation of powdered coffee-flavored foodstuffs as well as soluble coffee powders, soluble coffee-like powders and combinations thereof which, when reconstituted, possess the flavor and/or aroma characteristics of roasted and ground coffee. According to this invention the term, "powdered coffee-flavored foodstuff" is meant to include products which are not regarded as coffee substitutes and are designed to be dissolved in a hot or cold aqueous fluid such as milk or water to produce a coffee-flavored food or beverage. Typical coffee-flavored food powders included powder creamers, powdered soft drink mixes, powdered pudding mixes and powdered gelatin dessert mixes. The term "soluble coffee-like powders" is meant to include those products which are useful as soluble coffee substitutes and which are comprised of soluble solids obtained from roasted vegetable material such as chicory, wheat, barley, chickpeas and others known to those skilled in the art. More particularly this invention relates to a synthetic coffee grinder gas aroma which is an improvement over the grinder gas aroma disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,481 to Feldman et al. This invention is also concerned with methods of fixing coffee flavor and aroma enhancers as well as combining the fixed enhancers with a powdered foodstuff, a soluble coffee powder and/or a soluble coffee-like powder.
According to the aforementioned Feldman et al. patent, which is hereby incorporated by reference, a synthetic grinder gas aroma is produced by combining methyl mercaptan along with certain aldehydes and ketones and then combining this aroma mixture with an edible carrier such as coffee oil or with soluble coffee. The synthetic grinder gas aroma produced according to the Feldman et al. patent constituted a significant advance in the art of soluble coffee enhancement; however, the Feldman aroma has been considered lacking in certain aroma flavor notes, most notably a roasted note, which are found in natural grinder gas aroma.